As the use of the Internet has become ubiquitous more services are being offered online. This includes not only interactive services for which the Internet is widely known, such as email, online shopping, online banking, and customized information services, but has also come to include services that have traditionally been non-interactive, such as the provision of radio programming and television programming. Streaming media, in primitive forms, has been present on the Internet for some time. However, as greater numbers of users gain access to high speed data lines through school, through work, or through a home based broadband solution more people will come to see the Internet in general, and streaming media in particular, as a viable alternative for the delivery of media content. This includes daily programming such as typically appears on network broadcasting stations as well as special event programming such as movies and sporting events.
Streaming media delivery is both promising and problematic. With traditional media delivery vehicles such as broadcasting and cable or satellite feeds, users typically must plan to be available when the broadcast is available or make other arrangements on their own. However with streaming media and Internet content, users expect delivery to be at their discretion. This can raise a variety of issues for providers as they attempt to deal with what is essentially replicating the broadcast event for every viewer. In addition to current and ongoing programming, providers are also faced with the problem of legacy programming that may still prove valuable, if it can be provided, more or less on-demand when viewers so request. The vast amount of programming currently available, as well as the large volume of non-digital legacy programming, can create problems associated with the scale or size of a given operation as well as with the technical difficulties involved in the delivery.
Therefore what is needed is a system and method for dealing with the issues discussed above and related issues.